Hodgson realises perils of England job as Three Lions boss fights to win over stars

Roy Hodgson concedes the pressure of managing at international level is much greater than club football.

The West Bromwich Albion boss will be unveiled as the next England manager later on Tuesday after holding 'positive' talks with the FA.

And speaking on the day before he was
officially approached by Wembley chiefs, the former Switzerland, United
Arab Emirates and Finland boss, said: 'The games take on a bigger
importance because, apart from anything else, you are representing a
nation.

Big plans, Roy? The proposed England boss left the FA headquarters with his 'draft itinerary'

FOUR KINGMAKERS

The four-man Club England board were given a mandate by the main FA board to appoint the next England manager following the departure of Fabio Capello in the aftermath of the John Terry captaincy row.

SIR TREVOR BROOKING FA director of football development: Legendary England midfielder who spent his entire playing career with West Ham.

DAVID BERNSTEIN FA chairman: The 68-year-old chartered accountant took over in January last year after Lord Triesman's ill-fated spell. He was previously in charge of high-street retailer French Connection and was chairman at Manchester City between 1998 and 2003.

ADRIAN BEVINGTON Club England managing director: The FA's former director of communications took up the post when it was created in 2010.

ALEX HORNE FA general secretary: Another chartered accountant, Horne took up his post in May 2010 after filling a variety of roles for the governing body.

'There are a lot less matches, but
those matches take on enormous importance because you don't have many of
them to achieve your goals.'

In an interview for At The Match
magazine, the 64-year-old added: 'Sometimes you're looking at 10
matches over an 18-month period to decide if you will qualify for an
international competition. So there's a lot of time scouting and
researching because when the game comes around it's normally a must-win.

'In a 38-game season you can lose some matches and thanks to a spell where you win some you can get yourself back on track.'

Hodgson, who was approached for the
job ahead of fans' favourite Harry Redknapp, also reckons that the
manager's role has become more important than the players in recent
years.

The former Liverpool and Fulham chief
said: 'The manager's role has been amplified in modern times, perhaps
not wrongly so, because he has a very important role.

'He makes a lot of important
decisions and can help a club move in the right direction or the wrong
direction. But in order to do that it's got to be down to players.'

Hodgson's first fight after being selected as the next England manager will be to win over the players.

Happy chappy: Hodgson looks delighted as he heads home from talks

Silver lining: Hodgson looks on from the back of the Mercedes at Wembley

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Hodgson will perform a dual role with
the Baggies and England, planning for England's Euro 2012 campaign,
while overseeing West Brom's final two games of the season.

Tottenham boss Redknapp was
sensationally snubbed by the FA, after many had tipped the former
Portsmouth and West Ham chief to lead the Three Lions into this summer's
tournament.

After Fabio Capello left the post in February, a number of England stars came out in support for Redknapp.

Let's go: FA chairman David Bernstein waves to the photographers as he arrives at Wembley

Rio Ferdinand tweeted: 'Harry
Redknapp would be my choice by a distance.' Wayne Rooney wrote: 'Gutted
Capello has quit. Got to be English to replace him. Harry Redknapp for
me.'

While former England star Michael
Owen added: 'Ever been such a strong public opinion when it comes to
naming the next England manager? I don't know anyone that doesn't want
Redknapp.'

Back to work: Harry Redknapp
arriving at the Tottenham's Spurs Lodge training ground

No hard feelings: Redknapp wished Hodgson well with the England job

In stark contrast, the imminent
announcement over Hodgson hasn't provoked the same reaction, with a
high-profile star yet to comment on the news.

Hodgson's contract is expected to
be worth around £3million a year plus bonuses - around half the salary
Capello received but a significant increase on what Hodgson was earning
at the Hawthorns.

It remains unclear who will make up
Hodgson's backroom staff. Fulham are bracing themselves for an approach
for Ray Lewington, who is at the helm of the club's development squad
and a trusted Hodgson ally.

But Hodgson also rates Mike Kelly
highly. He took him to Liverpool when he left Fulham. Kelly chose not
to follow Hodgson to West Bromwich for personal reasons but he was the
England goalkeeping coach under the late Sir Bobby Robson, travelling to
the 1986 and 1990 World Cups.

Best of luck: Harry Redknapp has given his support to Roy Hodgson

ROY HODGSON'S INTERNATIONAL RECORD

SWITZERLAND (1992-1995)

Hodgson took his first international post after impressing in the country's domestic competition with Neuchatel Xamax.

He
succeeded in winning qualification to the 1994 World Cup, progressing
from a tough group that included Italy and Portugal. His side took four
points off the Azzurri, who went on to reach the final.

Hodgson
next led the team to qualification for Euro '96 but left before the
tournament to take charge at Inter Milan. His final game was a 3-1
friendly defeat to England.

At their peak, FIFA ranked Hodgson's Switzerland No 3 in the world.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (2002-2004)

Hodgson
returned to the global stage at the unlikely outpost of the UAE, where
he took over responsibility for both the national and Olympic sides.

He remained for 20 months, taking the side to one tournament - finishing fifth in the Gulf Cup.

He
later said of the experience: 'That was a period where I didn't know
where my career was going. But all these experiences enrich you and it
was good to know I could get my message to players who many say are
uncoachable.'

FINLAND (2006-2007)

Hodgson
took on the task of leading Finland to their first major international
tournament and was close to achieving that unlikely feat in
qualification for Euro 2008.

He won just six of his matches in charge of the side, but all of those victories came in competitive fixtures.

Notable results included a 3-1 victory at eventual group winners Poland and a 1-1 draw with Portugal.

Finland
finished just three points away from qualification but Hodgson opted
not to sign a new deal, instead resurfacing at Fulham